The electronic industry is constantly trying to reduce the size of electronic systems. Electronic chassises, which hold a number of electronics, are one of the most difficult to reduce in size, due to necessary cooling required for electronics. One example of such an electronic chassis is the type which houses a solid state power amplifier. The solid state power amplifier typically is made up of a series of plug in RF modules in the electronic chassis for redundancy. The RF modules plug into open bays in the electronic chassis. The RF modules are a combination of an electronics module and heatsinks. The heatsinks are used to cool the electronics module, but are usually very large and heavy. The RF modules are cooled by one cooling fan which intakes cooler air from outside the electronic chassis and forces the cooler air over the heatsinks to cool the heatsinks. The problems with such a system are as follows.
Even though the RF modules can be reduced in size, the amount of heat that the RF modules generate can not be reduced and large heatsinks are still required. Therefore, the electronic chassis can not be reduced in size due to the large heatsinks for the RF modules. FIG. 1 shows a typical heatsink configuration of an electronics module 10, a top heatsink 12 and a bottom heatsink 14. Another problem lies in that if the cooling fan fails, then all the RF modules in the electronic chassis are subject to failure, thereby reducing the effectiveness of having more than one RF module for redundancy. What is needed are improvements to allow the reduction in size of an electronic chassis, while maintaining redundancy and cooling requirements.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved electronics chassis which has a redundant and improved cooling system.
An improved electronic chassis for housing and cooling electronic modules. The electronic chassis includes a top and bottom which are connected by two sides, a front and a rear. The chassis includes an upper section near the top and within the top, bottom, front, rear and sides of the chassis, and the chassis includes a lower section near the bottom and within the top, bottom, front, rear and sides of the chassis. There are at least two electronic modules to be mounted in the chassis. There are at least two intake fans mounted in the upper section of the chassis at the back of the chassis. The intake fans are for intake of cooling air from outside the rear of the chassis. There are at least two bays mounted in the upper section of the chassis in front of the intake fans and near the front of the chassis. The bays are for receiving the electronic modules, where each of the bays have an open front and an open rear. The front of the bays are open to provide access to receive the electronic modules. The open rear provides an entrance to receive the cooling air blown from the intake fans into the bays such that the cooling air blows over the electronic modules and out the front of the bays. There are at least two exhaust fans in the lower section of the chassis ported outside the chassis. The exhaust fans for pulling the cooling air out of the chassis after the cooling air passes the electronic modules and out the fronts of the bays.